Despite calls for Hugo Broos to step down as the Bafana Bafana coach, Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie has defended him, asserting that he is not going anywhere.
McKenzie was speaking to Sunday World at the OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday morning while welcoming Broos and his team after their disappointing display at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco.
“Go back a few years; Hugo Broos truly woke up Bafana Bafana. I hear people are saying, ‘now it’s time for Hugo Broos to go … to go where? Hugo Broos is going nowhere.” McKenzie said.
“Hugo Broos is going to Mexico [to the 2026 Fifa World Cup]; that’s where he is going. This mentality of constantly changing coaches is unacceptable. The national team is not a joke.
“Hugo Broos has come in and put in a solid structure in our national team. Furthermore, how do you blame the coach if players don’t score?”
McKenzie went on: “We all watched the game[s], and so I want to make all of that very clear: Hugo Broos will not be fired.
“Instead, he will be going to the World Cup so that he can retire peacefully when his contract ends, and then we can start discussing bringing in a new coach.”
McKenzie criticises Broos
Meanwhile, despite defending Broos and speaking highly of him, McKenzie addressed Broos’ comments regarding the ongoing Afcon in Morocco, where he mentioned that the tournament did not have a “vibe” and expressed concerns about travel times.
McKenzie stated: “I was very annoyed with the coach of Bafana Bafana. I’m going to be straight with you; I was highly annoyed. You don’t do that.
“You don’t go into a person’s country and insult them; nobody should do that; it is not collegial. It is wrong. He’s in the hotel. How does he see the vibe outside?
“We saw the vibe. It was very wrong, and I want to apologise to the Moroccans on behalf of his utterances; you don’t do that.
“You don’t insult people in front of the whole world that has welcomed us with such open arms. The Moroccans have done a sterling job.”
